Oops. Took a picture of him after I farted, sorry.
Jack Arrow is suspiciously very similar to Captain Jack Sparrow, of Pirates of the Carribean, who is played by Johnny Depp. Jack Arrow the Alliance Captain, when killed, drops Captain Jack’s Head which starts a quest Captain Jack’s Dead, Horde side. He is found in the Tigers Wood, Jade Forest.
Image from WoWInsider
Last year, there was a really inspiring article in WoWInsider about Ben and Alex, who play the toons Hexu and Davidian respectively on the EU server Chamber of Aspects. Hexu the Orc Shaman (Alex) is blind, and Davidian the Orc Deathknight (Owen) plays as his guide dog, and through Mumble and lots of keybinds, they play, they raid – and do it quite successfully!
When I read the article, I was amazed, and in awe. What a totally awesome duo. In Mists of Pandaria, Blizzard has honoured these two with items named after them! Hexu’s Amplifying Helm has the tooltip “A man with a friend is never without vision”, and Davidian’s All-seeing Eyes has the tooltip “Sharp enough to see for two men”. Both of these items are rare trash drops. Which is totally suited IMO. That duo is a fantastic rarity indeed. If you ask me, the items should be epic 
(BTW, Ben now plays a Panda Rogue named DirtyPawz)
I think this is a reference to Jim Henson’s Fraggle Rock, a puppet television show in the 1980s. Do they think goblins look like Fraggles? Hmm, I don’t think they do.
Image from Wikipedia
This came to my attention courtesy of Pando of Lighter Side of WoW.
Sam the Wise <The Metal Brewmaster> is found in the Shrine of Fellowship in the Jade Forest. Another one of those double references, it’s a reference to Samwise Didier (one of the art directors at Blizzard and the senior art director on Starcraft II) as well as to Samwise Gamgee (of Tolkein’s Lord of the Rings). You can see some of his art here.
Samwise (Blizz artist) is the creater of the Pandaren, and is the frontrunner of Level 90 Elite Tauren Chieftains (The Artists formerly known as Level 80 Elite Tauren Chieftain), is an American band comprised of Blizz employees. They performed at Blizzcon 2008 and you can see them in game at Darkmoon Faire.
Samwise Didier as you can see is a metal music fan (hence the Metal Brewmaker) and if you talk to him he says Meatloaf quotes at you!
“I would do anything for love. But I won’t do that. At least, not right away”
“What is best in life? Brothers, Ballads and Beer! “
“I like my woman like I like my beer: full-bodied.”
“When dawn rises, the hammer shall fall!”
I wonder if Samwise likes Meatloaf? 
Samwise Gamgee is also reperesented here because Sam the Wise is found at the Shrine of Fellowship (referring to Fellowship of the Ring).
With patch 5.2, 2 new islands appeared off Pandaria. The Isle of Giants is located North of Kun-Lai and is inhabited by lots of elite dinosaurs! It’s Jurassic Park!
Now this is hilarious. Does anyone remember the scene from Jurassic Park II: The Lost World when they took the T-Rex on a boat to the city? Does this not remind you of that scene?
And of course there are a whole heap of NPCs on the island named after characters in the movies, both Horde and Alliance.
Named after Dennis Nedry in Jurassic Park, the fat computer tech guy who was stealing the embryos and got killed by dilophosaurii whilst trying to get off the island
Named after Dr Ellie Sattler, the paleobotanist in Jurassic park. She says:
“At least there are no electrified fences. Or trolls.”
“Be careful, Agrant!”
“How could we know anything about an extinct ecosystem? Even the plants are poisonous!”
“I told you that you weren’t machine compatible!”
“We can make it if we run!”
“You only brought enough food for seven days! Seven! That’s just great.”
Named after Dr Alan Grant, the paleontologist in Jurassic Park and Jurassic Park 3
Though the name is a bit obscure, this one is named after John Hammond, played by Richard Attenborough. It even looks a bit like him with the beard and the small stature! He has cool quotes when you talk to him from the movie:
“Agrant? Nellie? Isn’t it a bit dangerous to be outside of the zeppelin?”
“For some odd reason, I love to stare at this cane. Hmmm…”
“How could the expedition be a failure? I spared no expense!”
“What we need is some sort of protein-based population control. Perhaps we should have thought of that before coming here.”
“When we have control of the expedition again, everything will be fine…”
Named after Ray Arnold (played by Samuel L Jackson) the Chief Engineer of Jurassic Park in the original movie.
Named for Ian Malcolm, played by Jeff Goldbloom in the Jurassic park movies, he apparently even says some awesome movie related quotes:
“It’s, ah, the cycle of life, mm. The light creates troll, troll creates dinosaur, dinosaur eats human, trolls inherit Azeroth.”
“Do you think they’ll have this on the, ah, tour? Hm?”
“Anyone, ah, hear that? It’s ah, it’s ah, an impact tremor.”
“Am I, mm, talking to myself? I am? See there, I’m right again.”
“Remind me to thank Hamlock for a lovely weekend.”
This image comes courtesy of Luxy who snapped him outside the Black market Auction House! Extra info from Bubbles of Mischief and Wowhead.
Though I havent’ seen him myself, Willy Wilder is a play on Willy Wonka (played by Gene Wilder in the original movie of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory). He spawns in The Veiled stair and bids on Blood Soaked Invitations. He is an angry fellow – he attacks you with Stuffed and Violets and Blueberries – very Willy Wonka type attacks! If you kill him he is really does have a blood soaked invitation
It’s already quite obvious that pet battles are a throwback to Pokemon, but this is the first Battle Pet that I’ve seen that seems to be named after a Pokemon. Dos-Ryga is a water type Fable battle pet, found in Kun-Lai summit (added in Patch 5.2).
Dos-Ryga is an angram of Gyrados. Gyrados is a dual type water/flying pokemon (information from Bulbapedia) with a dragon like appearance. Gyrados evolves from Magikarp, which more closely resembles Dos-Ryga.
Magikarp – image courtesy of Ken Sugimori
Gyrados – image courtesy of Ken Sugimori
Interestingly, Magikarp have an extremely strong immune system and can live in polluted waters. Perhaps that is why you find Dos-Ryga next to the Sha polluted water in Kun-Lai. Gyrados however are destructive – it appears Dos-Ryga is somewhere in-between the two.
This was brought to my attention courtesy of Zeirah of Azeroth Life.
These gloves are a reference to a character from George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones series – Syrio Forel, who was employed by Edward Stark to be the “dance teacher” (aka fencing instructor) for his daughter, Arya Stark. The item flavour text is his line “What do we say to death? Not today.”
This was brought to my attention by Swenyola of Panda and the Priest.
This hard to find Hozen is found in the North western part of Kun-Lai Summit, near the shoreline. You can hear him playing the drums as you approach his location. He’s named after Dave Grohl, the drummer for Nirvana. I guess he’s kind of furry IRL, like a Hozen…
This item is a reference from the movie “Big Trouble in Little China”, starring Kurt Russell and Kim Cattrall. Even the flavour text is a quote from the movie! You can get your own Six Demon Bag from Nefarian in Blackwing Lair for lots of blasting fun.
Jack Burton: Hey, what more can a guy ask for?
Egg Shen: Oh, the six-demon bag!
Jack Burton: Terrific, a six-demon bag. Sensational. What’s in it, Egg?
Egg Shen: Wind, fire, all that kind of thing!
Adam Eternum – obvious reference to Prince Adam of Eternia.
The Simpsons is the longest running cartoon (or TV series for that matter) in US history. The comic was originally created by Matt Groening. There are only 2 references that I could find:
Groundskeeper Wyllithen in Silvermoon even looks like his namesake, Groundskeeper Willie, the Irish red haired gardener in the Simpsons. Complete with shovel.
In the DeathKnight starting area, you can find the other Simpsons NPC. You can’t see it unless you’re doing the early DK quests.
Mayor Quimby‘s name is exactly the same as in the Simpsons, and he even has the same portly figure.
I actually think this is a very clever reference! Loguhn is a play on Logan – and Logan is the name of Marvel’s Wolverine, of the X-Men. Notice how this NPC is a Wolvar? And look at those claws! Loguhn can be found in Dragonblight in Northrend.
Alfred Copperworth is a reference to Bruce Wayne’s butler, Alfred Pennyworth, from DC comic’s Batman. You can find him on the balcony in the Purple Parlour in Dalaran.
Heigarr the Horrible is found in Borean Tundra and is the objective of the quest The Tides Turn. I’m sure he’s a reference to the comic character, Hagar the Horrible, by Dik Browne!
I find it hard to find a picture of this mob as I did it so long ago and I don’t have any pictures of it – I pulled this one off the net from a korean blog. Negatron is a huge robot that is the objective of the quest You, Robot (which is also a reference to the book series I, Robot by Isaac Asimov turned into a movie starring Will Smith). Negatron is reference to the Transformers Decepticon leader, Megatron who turns into a gun. The popular toy range was made into an equally popular cartoon and series of movies.
Megatron in the cartoon (left) and in the movie (right)
Alexandra McQueen is a nod to Alexander McQueen, the British designer label, founded by Lee Alexander McQueen, who died in 2010. Sarah Burton is the new creative director and she created the wedding dress for Princess Katherine when she married Prince William. Unfortunately this NPC is no longer in game.
Rueben Lauren, another Dalaran NPC, is probably a reference to Ralph Lauren the American fashion designer. Check out that jacket! I want that jacket in game for my bank toon.
Karandonna in the same store as Rueben, and is named after the American fashion designer, Donna Karan of Donna Karan New York and DKNY labels.
The Smokywood Pastures goblins who appear around Azeroth around Winter Veil are all named after department stores and brand names. Ayelena pointed out to me the Ironforge ones, and I had already realised the names of the Orgrimmar ones so I took pictures of them, but I didn’t realise that all the other vendors in the other major cities also were named after stores and brands! Oh well, I’ll get pictures of them next Winter Veil.
Kosco Copperpinch is named for Costco, the huge warehouse club chain selling things at discount for bulk buying.
Thunder Bluff: Seersa Copperpinch is named after Sears, an American chain of department stores which merged with KMart. Whulwert Copperpinch is named after Woolworths the discount retail chain in the US. The Australian company Woolworths is actually named after the original F W Woolworth Co, but has no historical links to the original American brand.
It took me a while to figure out this one… it sounded so familiar when I was doing it. But a horde quest in Stonetalon Mountains, We’re here to do One thing , Maybe Two… had Aldo Rockrain giving the quests. Aldo Rockrain is a reference to Lieutenant Aldo Raine in the movie, Inglorious Basterds, starring Brad Pitt. Dontrag and Utvoch (pictured above as well) are a reference to Donowitz and Utivich in the movie as well. Even their quotes are related to the movie!
In the movie, Lt Raine says:
“And once we’re in enemy territory, as a bushwhackin’ guerrilla army, we’re gonna be doin’ one thing and one thing only… killin’ Nazis.”
This came to my attention from one of my Frostwolves guildies, Roshii.
“Dirty” Michael Crowe can be found in Theramore – or rather, was found in Theramore. Theramore in Mists of Pandaria is no more. This toon is named for Mike Rowe, who was the host of the show Dirty Jobs on Discovery channel. He also does the narration for another show, Deadliest Catch, which is why he’s a fishing trainer.
When you talk to him, he says:
I’m not sure if you can still find him if you’re low level alliance if the zone hasn’t changed or phased, as Wowhead hasn’t listed him as no longer in game.
